


Sleepless in Altissia

by seaofolives



Series: As Time Goes By and Other Stories [5]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Blind Ignis Scientia, Canon Compliant, Canon Era, Canon Universe, Gladnis Fanwork Bingo (Final Fantasy XV), M/M, Older Gladiolus Amicitia, Older Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia, Older Ignis Scientia, POV Gladiolus Amicitia, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:40:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27656278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seaofolives/pseuds/seaofolives
Summary: Years after the dawn has returned, Ignis and Gladio enjoy a vacation in Altissia that takes them to an important decision about their future as a family.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia
Series: As Time Goes By and Other Stories [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1915984
Comments: 6
Kudos: 24





	Sleepless in Altissia

**Author's Note:**

> who agrees that we should just make the summary box optional??? or at least agree that "pls read my fic, gladnis go brrr" is a good enough summary? anyway, thanks to AnnaTheLoon for helping me out here! \o/
> 
> also to those who's read my fake dating fic _Parent Trap_ , you might recognize this title. it is not the same story, i just wanted to reuse it bc i'm uncreative like that. anyway, here's the 5th entry for my gladnis fanworks bingo challenge! 
> 
> prompts: intimacy, post-timeskip, date night, altissia, noctis  
> month: may

“Hey, youʼre with the guy from earlier, right?” 

“With the who now?” That question came as a surprise, while Gladio had been in his own world, closing up the buttons along his right cuff. Years had passed, light had come and gone, yet some things never changed. Stiff suit jackets, friendly gondoliers in their campy gondolas. 

And the early evening view of Altissia—those cornflower blue skies, glazed over by some heavenly brush. The little golden lights that reflected off the calm rivers that connected the city. The pattern of arches and balustrades which would have been weather-worn if they hadnʼt been brand new, though they did try to make them look a little more worn. Altissia, after all, was a city that cashed in on its classic look, that permanent postcard feel. 

“I picked up your friend from the Leville Station and he looked like he was dressed for a night out of town.” Even the middle-aged gondolier had a smile that advertised that _warm hospitality_ they said on the tin. “Blond with some nifty shades?” 

“Yup, thatʼs him,” Gladio laughed politely with him. “The restaurant we want doesnʼt accept reservations so heʼs there to save us a seat.” 

“Oh, so you two are together?” 

Gladio waved his right hand to the gondolier, flashing the inked band around his ring finger. 

The man whistled, pushing on with the oar. “Thatʼs a fancy way of putting it. Is that whatʼs trendy in Lucis these days?” 

“Nah.” Gladio wrinkled his nose, shook his head. Finally, his buttons had all closed up and he could enjoy the conversation with the friendly man, leaning back on his cushioned loveseat. “Economyʼs picking up after the Long Night so everyoneʼs coming up with the fanciest way to do everything now.” He shared a smile with the cheerful local. “But my husband and I, we like to keep things quiet.” 

“What do you both do back there?”

“Heʼs a restauranteur. I work in public security.” 

“Good benefits?” 

Gladio pulled the corners of his lips downwards in consideration. “Pretty much,” he said, nodding. “We get to go on a trip out of town every year.” 

“Nice!” said his gondolier with a thumb of approval. “You should visit Altissia every year.” Gladio laughed. “No kids yet?”

“Weʼre talkinʼ about it.” Saying that always brought a big smile to his face, too. “A boy and a girl. Weʼve started talking to the agency so…hopefully this year. Who knows, the next time youʼll be driving us, thereʼd be three of us and a dog.”

“Then, Iʼll leave you my number!” the gondolier joked along with him, tilting his wide-brimmed hat. “Well, here you are. Have a lovely evening, you two!” 

From the port, he went up one flight of stairs, turned right onto the next bridge then went down another set of steps for another connecting tunnel. Even this part of Altissia hadnʼt changed—how the whole thing was built like a livable labyrinth, enough to drive him mad if it werenʼt for the guide he carried in his phone. 

By the time heʼd gotten to his destination, the skies had turned a touch deeper, and the silver orb of the moon dominated the landscape, inviting a number of tourists out onto the walkway to take their pictures with it. 

The restaurant, so called _Porto Della Luna_ for the magnificent view it offered of the night sky, was a majestic mansion that connected the bridge to the plaza at the other side. Every side of it was carved open by a series of arches, leading into several layers of open tables that surrounded the central kitchen. 

“Excuse me.” Closer to the right wall which led out to a row of plants and then the river at the bottom, he found a light-haired man with a handsome pompadour feeling his thumb idly along the edge of the tablecloth. Gladio tapped him gently on his shoulder, looking down to meet his visors. “Is this seat taken?” 

That brought a crinkle to Ignisʼ nose when he smiled. “It should have been, however my husband seems to be taking his time. Iʼm afraid he must have lost himself somewhere around this fair city.” 

“I could take his place, then,” Gladio responded in kind. “Iʼm strong, handsome, and I smell nice.” 

“Mm, is that wood and cinnamon I detect?” Ignis grinned, turning his head towards Gladio. “My favorite scents. Please have a seat.” 

“My pleasure.” Finally, Gladio took his rightful place across his husband who leaned himself closer to his plate. He waved for a waiterʼs attention. “Iʼm Gladio, by the way.” 

“Ignis…” He trailed off… “Should I use my married name or my bachelorʼs name?” 

“Are we seriously role-playing?” Gladio laughed, bringing the napkin to his lap before he received the menu from the bowing young man. Not his usual actions but years of being married to Ignis had helped him in picking up his ways. 

“I donʼt know, youʼre the one who started it,” Ignis replied, lifting a polite hand to refuse the menu. Instead, he said to him, “Iʼm in the mood for a light and flaky fish tonight, or perhaps some young crustacean, peeled whole, with some lemon on the side. What do you recommend?” 

“We have some fresh lobsters that just came in,” the waiter answered. As for Gladio, he was still scanning their selection of meat and poultry. “I could suggest our grilled herbed lobster tail, served with a side of salad—watermelon, mangoes and pansies.” 

Ignis nodded to that sound. “I shall go with that, then. You, Gladio?” 

“Uhhh…” Gladio was getting ready to flip the menu shut. “Iʼll get the bacon-wrapped griffon breast.” He handed the black book back to the waiter. “And get us whatever wine fits well with the lobsters.” 

“Yes, Sir.” The waiter bowed. “Shall we start with some vesproom soup, topped with pickled malmashroom?” 

“That sounds good,” Ignis agreed, nodding as if to show Gladio his expert opinion. He always took care of this part of the conversation. 

The waiter bowed with the menus pressed to his front, then turned away to relay the orders to the kitchen. 

“You did take your time, though,” Ignis began anew, bringing the napkin to his lap. “I was starting to miss you.” He smiled a little at his teasing. 

“Guess my plan worked, then,” Gladio quipped back. “I was chatting with my gondolier, really friendly guy. He said we should come back here next year with our kid.” 

“Not if theyʼre too young to appreciate the view, Gladio,” Ignis replied, relaxing against his seat. “Iʼd much rather we enjoy what little vacation time we can afford. And on that note, I will take this opportunity to remind you that even when we finally become parents, I _will_ insist on days like this. An _us time_ , if you please.” 

“You mean my favorite time of the week?” Gladio chuckled, getting comfortable with his elbows on the tableside. “Of course, Ignis. I know Iʼve always wanted kids but Iʼve always wanted you first.” He smiled when Ignis started to laugh, shoulders bouncing modestly.

—

“How is it that weʼve been married for years now?”

Ignis responded with a chuckle, squeezing his hand between them. “Could it be that you simply lost track of the time? Everyday, I become more and more aware of just how long weʼve been together.” He turned his face a little towards him. “How much weʼve gone through together, just to be here at this point in time.” If there was one more thing he felt especially grateful to be with his husband for, it was how easily he could let his deepest words flow out of him, as if he was only talking about the weather. 

Despite being out in public, making their way back to their hotel by bridges and stairs, Gladio pressed his lips to Ignisʼ forehead, leaving him a damp kiss. “Doesnʼt explain why I keep falling in love with you for the first time, every single day of my life.” He smiled victoriously for Ignisʼ shy delight. “You know Iʼve been watching you this whole evening, right?” 

“You arenʼt really hiding it,” Ignis pointed out. 

“‘cause I know I canʼt hide it from you, Scientia.” A force of habit Gladio hadnʼt quite gotten rid of yet. “But so Iʼm looking at you, anyway. And I keep thinking…I canʼt believe it, this really is my life now,” he shared with tickled laughter. Ignis fiddled with his glasses to hide his blush. “This amazing guy who taught me a lot about the world…about myself and whatʼs important to me. And Iʼm so proud of myself for stepping up to deserve him. Makes me so glad Iʼm alive right now.” 

“No gladder than myself, for sure,” Ignis returned, bringing the back of Gladioʼs hand to his scarred lips. “ _You_ kept me on my toes, as well. You were a threat, a challenge…and then you became my equal, my confidant…my council, my guiding light and anchor.” He punctuated it all with a sigh, turning his face to the deep blue skies, the white orb overhead. As though he could see more than its illumination. Gladio pressed another kiss on him, this time at the side of his hair. “Until I could not imagine life without a shred of you in it.”

“Funny, ‘cause thatʼs how I feel about you, too,” Gladio grinned. “You gave me meaning, Ignis.” His eyes fell to their joint hands, went up again to his husbandʼs profile, the moonlight that shaped itself according to its perfection. Even with the scars…even with his blind eyes, nothing would change what Gladio thought of his aspect. Those ailments were only physical—he admired more the fiery spirit that caused them, the one that mastered his fear and difference. 

Ignis glanced at him again. They laughed because he knew Gladio was gazing at him again. Hands parted so arms could hold each other. 

He tilted his head a little towards Gladioʼs cheek. Usually, their minuscule height difference gave them no problem but it certainly made being soft and small difficult in certain circumstances. “Tell me again, about the story of how you fell in love with me.” 

Ignisʼ favorite story. Gladio spread a smile on his face. “You were 17, I was 18. Noct and I were training. Then he overbalanced and fell on his back, and he put out his hand and broke it on landing. I hardly even heard him scream when you were already next to him, turning your vest into some makeshift sling. Then you carried him to your arms, excused him from the rest of the afternoon and took off with him. Like a damn typhoon.” He laughed. 

“It made me feel completely inadequate,” he went on. They had gotten off the last stairwell and were now almost at _The Leville_. “I thought Iʼd make it up to Noct by spending the night looking after him but of course, you were already doing that. Youʼd thought of everything and prepared for everything and I thought…” He shook his head. “What an amazing guy. I wonder what it takes to be like him…I wanna _be_ like him. So I started to befriend you ‘cause I wanted to learn from you…then you taught me so much more than what I was prepared for.” 

“I remember being so flattered,” Ignis shared, lips splitting open to smile. “Here is the Shield of the King, coming to me as he wrings his hands. Making me feel important. For the longest time, I thought I only liked you for the way you made me feel so valued.” He shook his head. “How wrong I was…how terribly wrong I was.”

“And now here we are,” Gladio smirked, “married…more than a decade later. One second, I was walking you to your car, carrying your homework, the next Iʼm walking with you to our hotel, carrying your hand.” Nothing short of a miracle, especially with what they were put through. And it only made him love him more, chest swelling. 

They finally arrived at their hotel, went up the flight of steps until they made it to their room. 

“Who wants to go first?” Finally, Gladio could slip out of his stifling suit jacket after he locked the door. He started with the buttons of his pink shirt from the top. 

Ignis had beaten him to the game, as always, more familiar with the stylish fashion than he would ever be. “Iʼll go in first,” he said, pushing down his trousers and underwear to toss them to their lounge set. His socks followed soon after, and then his shirt. “Iʼll leave the door open,” he announced with a little smirk, finally peeling his glasses from his raised scars. 

Gladio was left to take care of their clothes, then. Fold them in some sort of neat way, another something he picked up from being married to his husband. 

Ignis was humming to the piano music from the restaurant when he came in, massaging the shampoo onto his scalp, giving Gladio a magnificent view of his long figure, the subtle swells of muscles sleek with water, trailing down the curve of his waist to his round ass, the thatch of light hair over his flaccid cock. He was slimmer once, then bigger once…but all these years, he was still so breathtaking. 

He knocked on the wall to signal his presence, letting the echoes carry the sound. Ignis had his eyes closed when he glanced over his strong shoulder and smiling coyly, asked, “Who is it?” Again with that little role-playing. 

Gladio had to laugh, even when he tried not to. “Couldn’t help but notice you left the door open, Sir,” he replied with equal politeness, padding across the tiles. “By any chance, are you waiting on anyone?” He stepped into the shower, sliding his arms around his waist from the back. 

“Iʼm waiting for my husband,” Ignis sighed blissfully, leaning back to his chest. Gladio could practically feel him melting into complete relaxation in his arms. Those hands landed on his wrists, so he took it upon himself to rake his fingers through the last few suds on Ignisʼ hair. “Unfortunately, he seems to be taking his time with all those layers of clothes. Poor man has never worn a shirt all his life.” A joke which set them both giggling. 

“Could take his place, then,” Gladio responded with a happy grin. “Iʼm strong, handsome…and I clean up real good.” 

“Mm, that you do,” Ignis moaned, tapping a happy rhythm on his forearm. “By all means, then.” 

Once heʼd rinsed off his shampoo, Gladio pressed his lips to his hair, his temple and his cheeks. He waited for those hands to find his hair, pull out his tie, before he united himself with Ignisʼ hungry lips for the first kiss of the evening, sending goosebumps down his bare flesh. They didnʼt wait much longer to slip their tongues through their mouths, let them slide and dance together. 

They must have spent more than half an hour in the shower, lathering each other up, touching and teasing. Gladio had barely gotten Ignis dry before the man was already escaping his grasp and running to their bed to jump in it like a pool. 

“Youʼre like a kid, dʼyou know that?” Gladio laughed, crawling over his husbandʼs supine form to kiss his mouth again. While Ignis shifted more comfortably on his pillow, he trailed down to the arch of his neck, his chest, his nipples. 

Making him giggle. “That tickles,” he said. 

So Gladio lingered a little, lapping him up like a thirsty pet (“You’re like a cat,” Ignis laughed, the first time he was ever called something so dainty) before he descended to his stomach, biting a little at his flesh. 

Sighing. “Still not soft enough,” Gladio observed with the slightest disappointment. He pulled on the skin near his formed abs, though there was barely enough fat to satisfy him. “Marriage is supposed to make you soft.” 

Ignis took that as a joke. “As if I would let myself just get soft like that.” His fingers came to his long, damp locks. “Most certainly not next to you, my extremely good-looking husband.” And even if Gladio went soft ahead of him, he knew Ignis would keep a close watch on his physique. He did whatever he had to do to make sure he performed at his utmost best. 

“Guess Iʼll just have to spoil you harder.” Gladio grinned. A promise he sealed by slipping lower to his legs and burying his face between them. Ignis moaned out readily, pulling his legs apart. Gladio ran a long tongue along his cock, from head to base, coated its shape with wet kisses as he reached under and began to fondle Ignisʼ fruits. Ignis giggled again, pulling up his knees. 

When he looked up, he could see him playing with his nipples, biting his smile. He loved it when he goaded his husband to indulge himself. Long hours on his feet, dealing with pissy customers made him often too weary for anything more than a cuddle whenever they were home. 

Thatʼs why theyʼd been so excited for this vacation—a weekend leading into Labor Day in Lucis. It was the longest break theyʼd afforded in a while. 

Gladio wanted Ignis to enjoy it thoroughly. Taking his cock, he ran the tip of his tongue along its slit, causing his husband to mewl so weakly. Then he wrapped his mouth along its head and began to pull in a steady rhythm.

—

When they were planning this vacation, they considered other forms of accommodations that Altissia offered. A rented apartment, a yacht, a quaint bed and breakfast…but they were either too small or too expensive, too distant from the city center and ultimately, just too much work. They only had two days off and they didnʼt want to spend it shopping for food, preparing meals and washing up after them. So they decided on _The Leville_ , instead—reasonably priced (being quite familiar with the management), advantageous location, good service.

And thick walls and soft beds, that wouldnʼt creak or sway no matter how hard Gladio thrusted into Ignis. He held him down by the folds under his knees so that his knees were flat against his sides. 

It left him wide open; hands clinging onto the thick cords of Gladioʼs shoulder muscles, Ignis could only cry and moan and try to catch up with his breathing. Otherwise, they heard only the deliberate slaps of their flesh, Ignisʼ ass squelching as Gladio pulled out and drove in. 

He was getting softer, but tight enough to still feel like his passage was sucking Gladioʼs swollen cock off every time he swung back in. Gladio let out a deep groan, hanging his head back as he penetrated his husband. There was fire on his back, down his groin, flooding to his knees. His balls felt tight, ready to burst with pleasure. 

“Gladio…” Ignis moaned, face twisted with his own euphoria. “Oh, Gladio…” 

“Still here,” Gladio chuckled despite himself, another surge of heat coursing to his sensitive head at the sight of his husband blushing, milky eyes half-open in a daze. “Still inside you.” Then he thundered out his own moan, squeezing his eyes shut where stars were waiting to burst. “Oh, Ignis…Ignis, you still feel like heaven!” 

“Tell me,” he whimpered, his walls quaking as he tried to squeeze his husband. 

“Youʼre so tight and wet,” Gladio giggled, grinning like a drunk. There was sweat under his palms so he shifted a little before he started to pummel his husband again. Ignis cried with a jump, mouth hanging open, trembling inside him. “And youʼre hot as an oven. Itʼs like your ass molded itself to take me like a sheath. So perfect…youʼre so fucking perfect, Ignis!” He rammed himself in, and Ignis erupted with a grated cry. Heʼd nailed him right into his prostate. 

“Oh, Iʼm yours,” Ignis sang out, closer to a puddle the longer he was being kneaded like a dough. “All of me…everything inside me…yours to take…husb, band—” He let out a long moan, shuddering again in his passage. “Gladio…oh, Gladio, wait.” He seemed to snap out of it—or at least force himself to. The second those strong fingers clamped down on his shoulders, Gladio loosened up his hands and turned down the pace. “Stop! Sorry…Iʼm so hard, Iʼm about to burst!” 

Gladio started to hush him, coming to grips with himself. These points in their copulation often left him torn between obedience and disappointment but the night was still young, and they wanted to make it last forever. Carefully, as soon as he could wrap his head around his own arousal, he pulled out, drawing a thin thread of his pre-cum from Ignisʼ puckered entrance to his blushing glans. 

Then he lowered Ignisʼ feet to the bed, though he still held him in a position as if he was a birthing mother. Ignis moaned out his name again when he took his leaking shaft and stroked it carefully, spreading a thin film of his seeds along his girth. “Not now, I donʼt want to come yet…” 

“Just a little,” Gladio reassured him. “Just to relieve the pressure.” He waited for his husband to nod his assent before he cleaned him up with broad strokes of his tongue, then took him in his mouth again, counting to two before he sucked lightly. Ignis gave a start and jumped a little. 

It didnʼt take much longer for the first spurt of his semen to fill his tongue—warm, a little salty, a little metallic. He pulled a little more, swallowing every release Ignis gave him. He realized then he was a bit thirsty. 

He let him go when he felt his flesh soften up, though not enough to lose its shape. Gladio wiped his mouth on his wrist before he climbed back up to his husband and dropped himself beside him. 

Not close enough to touch—Ignis was still sensitive enough and _he_ was still as hard as steel. Ignis smiled at him as though he was watching him, snuggling deeper in his pillow. “Feels like itʼs been a long time,” he whispered, voice slightly worn from all his moaning and crying. “Since we found ourselves like this.”

“How long?” Gladio mumbled back, filled with contentment. 

“Perhaps,” Ignis shrugged, “months?” 

“ _Months?_ ” Gladio started to laugh quietly, beaming with his husband. “Doubt it.” 

“You sound positively certain of that.” 

“If weʼd gone on without lying like this for months, Iʼd have gone mad,” Gladio explained his simple reasoning, making Ignis laugh. “Seriously, I donʼt know how I wouldʼve survived that. Maybe weeks?” 

“Those weeks certainly feel like months,” Ignis grinned. “Then again…any amount of time I spend without you feels like forever. And the times we do spend together feel so short. How odd…that we should feel like this when we are married.” 

“Man, remember the days after the Long Night?” Gladio chuckled. “When we could—” 

“—barely keep our hands off each other,” Ignis laughed with him. “Indeed, how could I forget? That was certainly a strange period of time. Every day, Gladio…we couldnʼt go without having sex with each other at least once.” 

“Remember I called it the breakfast of champions?” Gladio snickered. Ignis threw himself to his back in his cheer. They could laugh about it now but…years back, sex had been their way to escape…everything that happened to them. It was a celebration of life, of beating back the darkness. And then it was a distraction from their loss, a comfort while they came to terms with the sacrifice of their dearest friend, the loss of their old lives, bound by duty to one man. 

Gladio drew closer to his husband and laid a heavy arm over his chest to kiss him on his ear. Chaste and safe, just enough to share affection, while his cock still felt rigid between his legs. “Iʼm glad we made it, Ignis.” 

Ignis turned his head slightly towards him, bringing his hand up to play with his hair. “Iʼm glad I could be with you tonight,” he replied softly. 

Gladio carried himself to Ignisʼ lips for a longer kiss, the man framing his jaw with his long fingers. 

After they parted, Ignis asked him, “Would you be a dear and get us some wine?” 

“Champagne okay?” Gladio was already crawling out of the bed, though. “Think thatʼs the complimentary bottle tonight.” 

“Champagne sounds great,” Ignis agreed with a smile.

—

They often made jokes about the necessity of Gladioʼs muscles in this time of peace. The normal (i.e. boring) answer, of course, would be his work in public security which necessitated various highly physical activities. The sweeter answer would be so he could give Ignis and their future family the best hugs, carry the groceries for him, and so he could swing the kids around with his arms.

And then there was what they were doing now. “You ready?” Gladio huffed. 

When Ignis nodded, he carried his legs around his sides so that Ignis had to brace the rest of his weight on his arms on the bed. Held like this, Gladio could drive his head straight into his prostate. 

Ignis let out the loudest cry yet, ass clenching desperately around Gladioʼs cock. “So deep!” he gasped, almost in tears, head drooping. 

Gladio had to readjust his hands around his thighs before he could pull out and swing right in again, inciting another exclamation from his husband when he smashed right into his core. “Fuck, youʼre so good like this!” he snarled, finding his rhythm until he was smacking into him in smoother motions. His knees were trembling in excitement. 

“Ugh… _ughh!_ ” Ignis cried and grunted for every thrust that landed sweetly, until his ass was quivering from the strain of his weight, the pleasure and the position he was being taken in. It wasnʼt easy, he was neither short nor light despite what his figure might lead others to think, but for the sake of chasing that high, the slight discomfort was damn well worth it. “Yes! Gladio, yes, yes, yes!!” 

“Harder?” he growled. He was a strong man but his hands, slippery with sweat and lube, were already shaking just having to keep his husbandʼs legs like that. _Harder_ would be, well, hard but it was a challenge he was willing to conquer for the both of them. 

But Ignis shook his head, finally sobbing. “I want you like this for longer. Oh Gods!” He tightened around Gladio again, sending a flush of heat down his heavy fruits. “Oh Gladio, this is amazing…you feel so amazing!” 

“Thought you were a man of words, Ignis?” Gladio started to laugh until the stirring heat stopped him and transformed the rest of his sounds into a gurgling moan. “Ugh, Ignis, Iʼm about to come.” 

“Not yet,” Ignis groaned, voice breaking into beats for every time Gladio landed into him. “Not like this. Together…we have to—” His phone rang. “Damn, are you serious?” It was his special ringtone, reserved for special people. 

Gladio let out a deep growl at the interruption, though the better part of him couldnʼt help but feel grateful when he put down Ignisʼ legs so he could scramble for his phone. In the meantime, he stretched his back and shook his hands. His dick was poking out of his legs like a train barrier. 

Despite that, he left Ignis on the bed so he could pad for the bathroom and grab one of their towels. Ignis was already on the phone when he came back, lifting his pelvis slightly off the bed to give his erection some much needed space. 

“I see, very well,” Ignis was saying. “Weʼll look around for it…” He sounded impatient. “Yes, yes, understood. Prompto, I have to stop you right now, Gladio and I are busy at the moment.” For a second there, Gladio considered shouting out to their friend but he wasnʼt cruel enough to make him feel more embarrassed than he might already be. 

So he just lied down on his side behind Ignis and left kisses on his back. “Yes, Prompto, we are busy making babies, if you must put it that way.” Between those words and Promptoʼs panicked yelling ringing through the phone, Gladio had to snort and laugh, falling to his back. Prompto delivered a wild tirade of hysterical goodbyes and hung up before Ignis could get a word in. 

When he returned his phone to the night desk, Gladio captured him with his arms around his waist and suckled at his neck with the intention to leave a bruise. Ignis moaned out in surprise, pulling his head sideways so he could expose himself. Crisis averted. The romance could keep on as usual. 

“Wanna do it again?” he mumbled to his ear. After some consideration, Ignis shook his head. 

He turned his profile towards him again, white eyes unfocused. “You went to the bathroom?” 

“Towelʼs ready,” Gladio said, and so was he, stirring at the thought of the climax. 

Ignis nodded. “Come inside me. I want to feel your seeds inside me.” 

“You sure?” 

Ignis smiled when he nodded again. “Positive.” His right hand sought the air briefly for his face before Gladio would bring it to his cheek, where he could caress his beard. “You married me. I want to be treated like your husband properly.” Someone who would receive all his desires, all his mess in their rawest forms. A good analogy, anyway, of a functioning, bound relationship. Ignis talked as if he was the only one who wanted him inside like that. 

As if Gladio wasnʼt the one who wanted it first. Even before they got married, he always enjoyed the thought of pumping Ignis full with his seeds, and then watching them flow out of him as he pulled out. In their wilder days, it excited him to see the man glazed with his semen—his chest, his stomach, even his face sometimes, when Ignis would allow it. Like some animalistic affirmation of his dominance and ownership. 

Heʼd grown up, since. Now he just wanted the man however way he could take him. They didnʼt survive years of trials just for him to question who each of them belonged to. “Do you want to come in my mouth?” 

Ignis shook his head. “I want to come in your arms.” Even Ignis had changed. Once so excited to try so many things, a different man as soon as the door was locked and their cocks were out, now he was more at ease with his comfort zone—a place of warmth, order, rest and butterfly kisses. Blissful domesticity, almost. 

Gladio laid out the towel under them and fixed Ignis on his side, bringing one of his knee higher onto the damp fabric so that the man was halfway facing down the bed. He straddled his legs, lathered him up thickly with lube. Unscented—that was one thing that never changed. He and Ignis never liked those exciting flavors. “Could you put lube in tomorrowʼs shopping list?” he asked. 

Ignis poked his temple. “Already here.” 

Carefully, he pulled his husbandʼs entrance wider and slipped in. Ignis tensed and moaned the moment he scraped his walls so Gladio gave him a moment to relax before he pulled himself almost to the head and then pushed himself with mindful speed, making sure Ignis felt every motion of it. 

Ignis sang out a long moan, crumpling his face in euphoria first, then biting his lips. “Again. Let me feel you that way again.” Ignis was a beautiful experience when he was tight and resistant. 

But softer, easier, he became something else, different but still equally desirable. Like a doorway to a warm house that welcomed him again and again. Gladio started slow, focusing himself on controlling his exit and his impact. With orgasm in their minds, there was no need for him to be careful about greeting his prostate. 

They picked up soon after, adding a little urgency into their lovemaking, that exciting ingredient called _desperation_. Before long, he was sawing into Ignisʼ passage, smacking angrily against his ass. Ignis had forgotten his name, his words, counting on him to hear his need with high and lows of his moans. 

Gladio hadnʼt realized how he had burst, only that somehow, there was sound through his chest and he was gushing out floods of seeds in Ignisʼ trembling cavern. Ignis was crying, too, to the count of his ejaculation shooting straight to his sweet spot. 

He spent himself as hard as he could, even when his hips had forgotten how to move. As for the rest of his release, Gladio squirted them on Ignisʼ blushing ass, while he watched him leaking with the excess of his seeds, into the towel under them. 

Ignis giggled suddenly. “I love this feeling,” he whispered, surely aware of the sleekness inside of him. “Time well-spent,” he joked. 

Gladio laughed out loud at the pun, lying down again beside him to bring his back to his husbandʼs chest and their hands to his dick. “Do it together?” he asked, kissing his cheek. Ignis nodded, rearranging their hands so that Gladioʼs fingers were touching his flesh and he was holding onto the back of his hand. 

He started to stroke him, building up the pace as he would while he returned to his love bite to extend the damage. That was another part of their language whose meaning had evolved: it used to be that they simply liked to see each other littered in bruises but since Ignisʼ blindness, Gladio had made it a point to leave hickeys as deeply as he could—what Ignis couldnʼt see, he could at least feel. 

Ignisʼ orgasm was quiet—a stunted gasp, body going rigid and then the release. He spilled onto the towel, goaded by Gladioʼs loving touch. 

Those seeds that clung to his hand, Gladio licked clean, doing it next to Ignisʼ ear so that his husband could listen to him consuming his spend as though it was his favorite dish. That brought out another weak moan from the man who turned his face to the pillow as if to hide his embarrassment. 

They cleaned up after, tossed the towel onto the laundry bin before they went back to each otherʼs arms, meeting in several brief kisses. Then Ignis tucked himself in Gladioʼs neck, and they fell asleep that way.

—

Ever since they were young, Ignis had always been a man of many skills and talents—if he didnʼt know something, he would learn it just because he decided to do it. He was unrivaled in the kitchen and was a force to reckon in the field. Even now, in times of peace, whenever he and Gladio sparred, he still kept him on his toes. He was also smart, capable, a champion multitasker.

When it came to matters of the bedroom, Ignis was no different. Once, when he was young, he could barely get Gladio up with the modest way he moved his lips and felt his way with his tongue. Like a kitten that still didnʼt know how to clean itself, Gladio thought once. 

Now, Gladioʼs head was scraping up the back of his throat with how deeply he was going, and Ignis had been barely awake when he took him in his mouth. 

It had only been a few hours since they fell asleep. A look at the time told Gladio it was only a few minutes past 1am, and the world outside looked like it was just about to get to its darkest color yet. 

He nearly dropped his phone when Ignis pulled straight from his slit, startling him into a squawk. Gladio kicked him on his shoulder for that. He felt Ignis laughing through his cock before he held it in place so he could dress it with his tongue, turning him dumb with pleasure again. 

After the bubbling laughter, the air became quiet except for Gladioʼs moans and Ignisʼ name. After that, a disgruntled groaning somewhere at his feet. 

Ignis came up from Gladioʼs half-hard dick, then, to press his fist on his lips, his hand on his flat stomach. Gladio started again with wild laughter, practically undoing Ignisʼ careful work as he twisted to his side. 

They called room service and ordered some deli samplers that came with bread, some fish and chips and then a plate of penne pasta cooked in sun-dried tomatoes and basil to share. The whole affair came with a fresh bottle of fruity red wine which they popped open practically on sight. 

“Enjoying yourself?” 

Ignis nodded to Gladioʼs question, flicking the crumbs off his fingertips as soon as heʼd consumed his food and dusting it off his robe. He touched the large platters that filled their coffee table from right to left, counting until he found the fish and chips and served himself. “The prosciutto is spectacular, my supplier never does it like this. Perhaps I should ask for their contact.”

“Might be a local,” Gladio mused, refilling his husbandʼs glass. “Could be expensive to bring it to Lucis.” 

“Iʼll certainly have to weigh it against the profit,” Ignis agreed, taking the deep-fried fish by the finger to nibble on it. “Besides, it isnʼt as if itʼs part of my star menu.” 

“Hey, donʼt talk like that,” Gladio chuckled, running his fork through some of the pasta on his plate for a mouthful. He chewed with gusto. “You’re gonna make that Matta cry at your doorstep.” 

“Indeed,” Ignis laughed delightfully at the joke, searching the air carefully for his wine glass until he found it by its stem. He carried it to his lips. “We mustnʼt be so cruel to him. He may only eat one thing in my restaurant but he is a kind man who truly loved his wife.” Gladio knew the customer by his weekly dates at Ignisʼ restaurant, his wife being a huge fan of the menu. A man of very particular tastes with a very sensitive heart and palate, he only ever ate three dishes that Ignis had to cook himself. After his wifeʼs untimely death, they thought he would never come again—until he did. So they sat him on the same table he and his wife always sat in, on the same hour of the same day every week. 

Gladio, who considered himself a tough guy, would be caught sobbing in his and Ignisʼ bedroom one evening. The manʼs devotion to his wife touched him, he said, and he aspired to give his husband the same amount of commitment. Ignis shared once that he didnʼt want to have children but because of his wife, he became a father of three kids who would later become successful men and women. 

It was a model relationship and family for Gladio. One day, he thought, he wanted the same future for him and his husband. A future where they would be too old to work and would spend their days in complete relaxation, while their children took care of the work they began. A future he never quite gave his father, who died before he saw him rise up to the role he inherited. 

His phone gave a cheerful chirrup—a message had come through. Gladio wiped his fingers on his robe before he navigated his way through his screen. It was a new email from the animal shelter theyʼd been speaking with. 

“Ignis, look,” he said, smiling at the content he scrolled past. “thereʼs another adoption day next week.” 

“Next week?” Ignis repeated after a beat. 

“Yeah, Thursday.” Gladio scrolled back to the top to read the details. “Starts at 10, goes on until 8:30. We could go!” He looked up to Ignis, a bright smile on his face. 

Ignis was biting his lips, looking off to the floor, glass in hand. “Ah, Iʼm,” he began after a moment, “Iʼm afraid I might be busy. You see, I am expecting a new cook next week. So I must be there to prepare them for the Friday crowd. Iʼm sorry. It isnʼt a good time for me.” He finished the wine in his glass and put it back. 

“Okay,” Gladio said, trying not to sound wary, but he hadnʼt expected Ignisʼ response. Now he looked distracted, facing his half-empty plate, where he had moved with animation earlier when Gladio had brought him to the table to eat. Food was his happy place, and part of the thrill of this vacation was his reunion with Altissian cuisine. 

Now he wouldnʼt even finish the piece of fish he was nibbling at. Gladio started to worry. Had he ruined their trip? “Ignis?” 

Ignis smiled when he faced his way. “Gladio?” 

Gladio started to smile, as well. “Hey, donʼt worry about not going. Work comes first, of course.” Ignisʼ smile shook. “Besides, we can just drop by the animal shelter when weʼre free.” 

That smile broke apart, a look of shock opening up Ignisʼ expression. “Oh.” Another pause. “W, well, yes, of course. Youʼre right, of course.” He smiled again, and this time it looked a tinge brighter. 

Then he picked up his fish and started to eat it pensively. When next he spoke, it was about Promptoʼs call from earlier. He wanted a kitschy magnet, he said. Ignis laughed for that.

—

Ignis reached deeply inside him, three long fingers folding and spreading, stretching him wider for his entrance. Gladio groaned deeply, face on his pillow. He pushed up his ass, willing his husband to dig further, maybe even tease his prostate.

“Ignis,” he moaned while those digits kneaded his quivering passage. His other hand rubbed slow circles on the side of his hips to relax him. Gladio concentrated on his repetitive motions, his lulling rhythm. This was good, he told himself. This was perfect. 

And then it wasnʼt—something was wrong, this wasnʼt like Ignis. The man often giggled and hushed him when he moaned, cooing at him. He would fondle his nuts, as well, even tease his stirring cock. 

Tonight, Ignis…wasnʼt doing anything like it. He was just…going through the motions. Through sex. 

He didnʼt want this. Gladio didnʼt want them to spend their last night in Altissia like this. 

“Hey,” he touched him on his hand on his side, “Ignis?” When Ignis didnʼt respond, he clenched his ass to stop his fingers, then reached up to his wrist. “Ignis,” he called him again. Ignis turned to him with a little start. Even when he was too blind to see it, Gladio still smiled at him. “Do…” Did he what? He wanted them to talk but he didnʼt want to be too obvious about it. Ignis would reject it and push himself to the task at hand. And then whatever it was he was thinking, it would be gone before they dealt with it. “Do you wanna go for a walk?” 

They cleaned up, got dressed, left the hotel, arms around each other. 

Ignis was still quiet, though he looked better, Gladio thought. Altissia past midnight was quiet, empty except for some lights here and there, the hush of folding waves, the cool breeze that pulled at their coats. 

“How peaceful,” Ignis sighed, relaxed and contented. A far cry from when he was touching Gladio. “Iʼm glad we decided to take a walk. It makes me wonder how much we missed out on those last trips we did. All those nights spent hiding in each otherʼs arms,” he chuckled. “Not that I would complain.” 

“I was about to say the same,” Gladio rumbled quietly, breathing a little easier now that Ignis seemed to be talking as usual. “Got a place you wanna go?” 

Ignis was quiet again, thinking… 

His smile faltered slightly. “C, could…we go to the Altar again?” he whispered, turning towards his husband. The Altar of the Tidemother, where everything had changed for them. Theyʼd already gone that morning but how could he say no? While it had caused a fissure between him and his friends so many years ago, it was now a symbol of an old friend he missed everyday. 

They had to ride a gondola just to get there, where Ignis leaned comfortably on his shoulder while Gladio chatted up the gondolier just to keep him awake. 

He would wait for them by the steps leading up to the reconstructed shrine, which now held a special stone monument, the image of a sylleblossom and the crest of the old Lucian Kings carved at the top part. Whenever Gladio and Ignis found the time to visit Altissia, they always made it a point to stop by, no matter how late or early it was. 

As with that morning, they paid their respects, sending out a little prayer to the bearers of the symbols. This time, though, instead of turning back almost as soon as theyʼd come, they marched past the stout stone, bringing themselves to the pedestal where the last Oracle once stood to strike a covenant with the sea goddess. 

There they sat, their legs dangling out to the dark waters. Out there, the wind was thinner, and harsher against the face. 

Gladio whistled, tightening his arms around his chest. “I remember, it was almost this cold back then. When we found you and Noct lying here. I told myself once, that was the worst night of my life. We lost the Oracle, lost hope…I thought I lost you and Noct…and you were in so much pain, I didnʼt know what to do.” 

“The feeling of loss,” Ignis smiled slightly, “was mutual. In our own ways, we experienced our own kinds of losses.” 

“Yeah,” Gladio said, just to put them back in silence. Overhead, the stars were out, like silver dust, trying to make a beautiful landscape out of nothing else. 

“Gladio,” Ignis began softly. “Thereʼs…there is something I must tell you. Something I must confess.” Gladio felt his chest tighten with dread. He was right, something had been bothering his husband. 

He prepared a smile, just so it could pull his tone up with his lips when he faced his husband. Ignis was frowning, brows creased by his burden. “Yeah?” he nudged him. 

“I…” His lips turned sour. “Iʼm not…ready for children, Gladio. I…” He shook his head, trying to school the pain of admission away from his face. “I donʼt know how…I can be ready.” So not yet. 

No kids for them yet. Gladio chuckled, feeling his heart lighten up a little. Fine, they could wait a little longer. That must be why the news from the animal shelter earlier had bothered him. So that was it, all along. “Okay,” he said. “Then, we donʼt have to do it now.” 

“But I donʼt know when,” Ignis insisted, turning to him. “And…and I donʼt know if I _can_. I, I might just…you could be…” Blind eyes behind their visors tried to seek out his face. They looked scared, Gladio thought. “You could just be waiting for nothing, Gladio,” he whispered finally. Nothing. That meant—

Gladioʼs heart sank slowly, like a rock pitched into the ocean. “You…donʼt want kids, Ignis?” 

Ignis pressed his lips into a bitter line when he shook his head. “If…perhaps in different times, I would love to be the father of your children. B, but…” Those hands felt for Gladioʼs elbow, as if in supplication for understanding. “No, itʼs not that I donʼt want kids…but I canʼt. I donʼt think I can become a loving father to our children…and it scares me.” 

Gladio started to laugh, heart turning light again. “What, is that it? Youʼre worried about messing up.” He pulled his arms free and took Ignisʼ cold hands in his. Their fingers twined with each other knowingly. “Ignis, youʼre gonna be great.” 

Ignis shook his head. “I will have no room for them in my heart.” 

“What makes you think that?” Gladio kept his voice gentle, as gentle as his natural bass could. “We havenʼt even met them yet.” 

“Because Noct is still inside me,” Ignis answered. He brought a fist to his chest so he could knock on it. “In here. Deep inside, and I know he will never go away. He canʼt.” He shook his head. “Because I donʼt know how to let him.” Their king…no. _Their friend._

“All my life, Gladio,” his husband continued. “I knew of nothing but taking care of him. Raising him, guiding him, protecting him. My entire universe revolved around him, out of duty and love. He was my brother, my son, my friend and king. He was my everything in the same way you are now.” He closed his eyes shut, turning back to the void. “And I think that is what makes things worse for me.” He exhaled, in shaky breaths. Gladio drew himself closer to his husband, bringing his arm around him. “Gods above, I want to make you happy. I want to be your everything, too!” 

“You _are_ my everything!” Gladio laughed suddenly, trying to brighten up his husband in pain. He shook him lightly. “Ignis, remember the vows I spoke at the altar.” To love and to cherish, whatever may come, et cetera, et cetera… 

“But I canʼt give you kids,” Ignis said again. Wouldnʼt even lean on his husband the way he would if he had problems and needed comfort. Or turn to face him, too ashamed, it seemed, of his weakness. So much for marriage. So much for those stupid vows. “I donʼt know…if I can care for them with the same devotion I had for Noct. I know they wonʼt replace him but Iʼm scared that they will. And yet Iʼm scared that they wonʼt, as well…” 

He dropped his head, as if to look at his lap. “And if I canʼt choose between them and Noct…if I canʼt try, then I donʼt want to. I donʼt want to make it difficult for you…for me, for them.” He shook his head. “I canʼt…” Canʼt have kids, canʼt forget Noct, canʼt… “I know…youʼve always wanted to be a father ever since we met but I canʼt do this for you. And Iʼm so sorry.” He slipped off his glasses so he could cover his face with his hands. “Iʼm terribly sorry for being a disappointment, Iʼm so terribly sorry…!” 

“Ignis,” Gladio hissed, pulling him to his arms, to his shoulder, so he could rock him. “Ignis, youʼre talking nonsense again. Stop this. Donʼt beat yourself over this!” 

“I know I should move on but I canʼt,” Ignis continued, shaking in Gladioʼs arms now. “I know I promised to build a meaningful life with you but I canʼt even do this one thing for you and Iʼm so sorry! I shouldnʼt let Noct get in the way of our future but I canʼt, Iʼm so sorry…” He was those two words for the rest of the night— _canʼt_ , and _sorry_. 

Even in their hotel room, he could not be consoled. “Iʼm sorry,” Ignis said again as Gladio removed his coat for him, “but I am no longer in the mood tonight. I know this is our vacation…but I canʼt. Iʼm sorry. Iʼm sorry for ruining our vacation.” 

He got dressed in his silk pyjamas, laid down under the quilt on his side of the bed and closed his eyes to sleep, his back turned to his husband. As for Gladio… 

He lied awake behind him, waiting to hear his breath relax. To hear him fall asleep, so he could finally be alone with his own thoughts—those ones that said: _this is it, youʼre never having kids, anymore._

He wished he could say he wasnʼt disappointed…but Ignis was right, he was. Raised most of his life with only a father, a man who would one day show him the importance of a legacy, Gladio had always looked forward to the day he might have his own family. To be married to a wife—or a husband, as it turned out—and then to have children he could teach, to pass on his own lessons to, like his father did with him. With Ignis, he found that perfect partner to do it with. 

He never considered, of course, that the life he shared with their best friend would so affect him this way. And yet he should have. He thought Ignis might put that love he had for Noct into raising their family but he never expected the amount of love he truly had for their friend. And yet he should have. He had been the one who asked to marry him. 

Carefully, so as not to disturb the man, he reached over his arm to put his right hand next to his husbandʼs, his ring next to his. The style was similar, but the subjects different. Where Ignis had a shield in place of where the gem ought to be, Gladio had a fist that held a dagger, the blade of which looped around his finger the same way Ignis wore his great sword. 

Ignis had been over the moon the night they had it, feeling lightly over the raised lines of his fresh ink. “Tell me, Gladio,” he said, laid down on his chest, “is it truly here?” 

“Could have just gone for a real ring if you wanted to feel it,” Gladio told him in laughter. 

But Ignis shook his head. “A ring would get in the way of my work, and if I lose it, then it may be for good. A permanent ink would suit me better. Besides, if my husband says that it is,” he smiled, then, “then I will believe him.” Heʼd always put all his faith and trust in Gladio, even before they were married.

—

Come the morning, Ignis would be gone from the bed.

When Gladio searched the room for him, he found him standing by the open windows, facing the quiet ocean and the breeze. He didnʼt bother to hide himself when he got up from the bed. 

So Ignis turned to him, his arms across his chest. “Good morning,” he greeted him with a little smile. More or less like normal. 

“Morning,” Gladio mumbled back, scratching his hair as he padded to his husband. He would give him a good morning kiss as he often did. 

“Gladio,” Ignis stopped him, turning around to put his back on the window. “Before anything else, there is something I wish to say to you.” 

_What is it again, this time?_ Gladio hated that he thought that way. 

“What I said last night, in the Altar,” Ignis smiled, “perhaps we can forget about it.” What? 

“What?” Gladio approached him again, brows pinched together in surprise and confusion. “What are you saying?” 

“Iʼm saying that I want to have kids,” Ignis said. “If you want kids, then so do I. I will…I want to do this with you.” 

“Ignis,” Gladio touched him lightly by his elbows, “you just said youʼre not ready.” 

“That was just me talking out of fear,” Ignis laughed, shaking his head. “You should just ignore what I said. How will I know if I am ready unless I try, right?” 

“Did you just hear what you said?” Gladio frowned. “You expect me to just pretend you didnʼt break down in the Altar last night?” 

“Like I said,” Ignis reached for his scarred cheek, “that was just my fear getting the better of me.” 

“Itʼs still _your_ fear, Ignis.” Gladio snatched his hand from the air, so he could carry it to his heart. “You think I could just ignore that? Iʼm your _husband_ , Ignis. I married you so I could take care of you!” 

“What about me?” Ignis put his other hand on his own chest. “Do I not want to take care of you? To make you happy? Did you forget my vow?” 

“Honestly, at this point, I donʼt give a shit about those fancy words we said in front of the priest,” Gladio spat out. “Iʼve always dreamed of building a family but itʼs no dream of mine if Iʼll have to hurt you. I love you more than I love my dreams, Ignis.” He cupped his jaw in his hand. Ignis had to close his eyes when he tilted his face to it. “I married you ‘cause youʼre my best friend, ‘cause you stood by me at my best and my worst. Not because I think youʼd make a great dad. Thatʼs just secondary.” 

Ignis shook his head. “Which is why I want to have these children with you. Let me make this sacrifice for you, Gladio.” 

“No,” Gladio said, stroking his cheek. “I wonʼt let ya.” Ignis was going to fight this, he could sense it, so he pulled him to his arms and held him close. 

And Ignis, he wrapped his own arms around him. A step to reconciliation. 

“Noctʼs gone,” Gladio continued. “He sacrificed himself so we wonʼt have to do that anymore. Remember? If youʼre not ready for kids because of him, then fine by me. Iʼll still want kids, but I wonʼt ruin a damn thing just to scratch that itch. Youʼre more than that to me, Ignis. And Noct gave himself so I could have you like this, too.” 

Ignis shook his head. “Would that I could just be stronger and braver for you.” Then again, he was always like this—raised to be selfless, forced to sacrifice all the time, to give more of himself than he had. 

This was just a part of the man he chose to marry. A part of him that he gave to him, and that Gladio chose to live with. Everything inside of him, he said—his walls, his comforts, his pleasures, his setbacks. Past, present, future, everything—Ignis said they were his. 

“You are,” Gladio assured him, kissing his head. “You’re strong and brave enough to tell me my dream scares ya. And I gotta respect that. As a man and as your husband, I gotta respect that.” 

“Iʼm sorry,” Ignis whispered. 

“Iʼm sorry, too,” Gladio replied. Married for years, and yet still so much to learn. So much for the married life turning them soft. 

“Gladio?” Ignis began again after a stretch of silence, filled with nothing but the hush of waves and the heat of their embrace. “About…that animal shelter, though.” He wasnʼt letting go of him. Still couldnʼt face up to the man heʼd let down. 

“Yeah?” Gladio smiled. But at least, they were moving on from it now. 

“I think…” Ignis went on. “Perhaps Thursday afternoon could be a good time. Iʼm sure my sous chef can handle the onboarding just fine.” 

“You sure?” he asked, as softly as he could. Whatever told Ignis he loved him and cared for him above all things. “Friday nights ainʼt a joke in the restaurant. Not with the way you make the food.” 

They shared a laugh, briefly but it was warm. “Yes,” Ignis assured him, that single word buoyed by a fresh sense of commitment. “You _are_ more important than my work, you know?” He did, but it felt soothing, like a balm, to hear those words come from him. On that morning, especially. “You, and our future together,” he added. _Their_ future. _Together._

Gladio smiled and nodded. “Yeah,” he said to him, moving up a hand to brush his fair locks. “Yeah, I know. I just wanted to make sure that…this time, I donʼt leave you behind, yʼknow?” Not in his dreams, not in his future. 

Not in forever. “You wonʼt,” Ignis promised him, holding him tighter. “You wonʼt.”


End file.
